Reentry expert Jennifer Armstrong urges men returning to their communities to begin preparing themselves immediately.
“There are things that you should know and use as guides as you get ready to be released and I will teach you how to get a book for free that will have a list of resources you can use,” said Armstrong, during a recent visit to Kid CAT.
The two most pressing issues the men expressed in Kid CAT were housing and employment.
“Every county has free training for vocation; people are not aware of the amount of resources that are out there,” said Armstrong, who is a vocational rehabilitation counselor at San Mateo County. “Work Force Development Program is in every county and they will help people go to vocational schools for free.”
“I would encourage people to look into job opportunities before and once they get out of prison,” said Armstrong. “People who get trained in a vocational job don’t skip around to find jobs, they find a career. I’m also not going to tell you that it’s going to be easy, but seek out people and programs that are going to support you and show you compassion.”
Since most people in custody are paroling to various counties, Armstrong recommends that those who are seeking housing obtain the resource book, which has information about transitional housing throughout California.
The title of the book is called “Roadmap to Reentry: A California Legal Guide, 2015 Root and Rebound.” To obtain a copy of the book, have a friend or family call Root and Rebound at 510- 279-4662. Website: www. rootandrebound.org.
Or write to: 1730 Franklin Street, Suite 300 Oakland, CA 94612 to receive the resource book filled with service information.
